Shoe stretcher



E. GALTE'RIO Nov. 22, 1949 SHOE STRETCHER Filed Oct.

JNIEN TOR. [L/A GAL 719/0 v M ATTORNLY.

Patented Nov. 22,1949

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE STRETCHER Elia Galterio, Denver, 0010.

Application October 2, 1948, Serial No. 52,491

. 9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a shoe stretcher and has for its principalobject the provision in a single device, means whereby the width of theshoe, the length of the shoe, and or the height of the vamp can beselectively and individually stretched as desired Other objects andadvantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which isdesigned for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become moreapparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. .Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing: I

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved stretching last;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view of the improved last,taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3; looking upwardly;

Fig. 5 is a detail section through a handle employed with the improvedlast taken on the line '55, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a detail fragmentary view taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 3.

The improved shoe stretching last incorporates means for exerting eithera Widening action, for stretching the shoe transversally, .or alengthening action, for stretching the shoe longitudinally, or a liftingaction for lifting and stretching the vamp of the shoe.

The above actions are accomplished through the following construction. Ahollow last body If! is provided having a toe portion 'l I. The body I0is open at the bottom, the opening being closed by means of a curvedbottom plate l2 which is secured to the body by means .of suitablescrews l3 or in any other desired manner. A curvated vamp plate I4 ismounted in a receiving socket IS in the top of the body Ill. The vampplate I 4 is mounted adjacent to its forward extremity on a horizontalhinge pin :16. The upper extremity of the vamp plate I4 is supported ona toggle link 11..

The link is hinged at one extremity to the vamp plate 14 upon a hingepin I8 and is hinged at its other extremity on .a second hinge pin 19mounted in a threaded nut 20. The nut :20 is threaded sonto slut-ablethreads 2| formed upon is rotatably mounted in, and extends upwardly andrearwardly from, the body l0.

It can be seen that if the tubular shaft 22 be rotated clockwise, thenut 20 will travel downwardly along the threads 2|, causing the togglelink ll to lift the rearward extremity of the vamp plate M about theaxis of the hinge pin l6.

An operating shaft 23 extends throughout the length of the tubular shaft22 and terminates at its lower extremity in abevel gear 24. The bevelgear 24 is in constant mesh with a second .bevel gear 25 fixed on ahorizontal longitudinally-extending, threaded shaft 26. The threadedshaft 26 is provided with adjacent right and left-hand sets of threads27, upon each of which a nut member 28 is threaded.

A pair of toggle arms 29 extend oppositely outward from each nut member28 and terminate in hinge pins 39 mounted in foot spreading blocks 3].The foot spreading blocks 31 project through the sides of the body H1and are supported entirely by the toggle arms 29. The shaft 26 isret-atably mounted in supporting bearings 21 in the body Ill.

It can be readily seen that when the operating shaft 23 is rotated inone direction, it will cause the nut members 28 to approach each other,thus forcing the toggle arms 29 together to force the blocks 3! outwardand when rotated in the other direction the nut members will beseparated to draw the blocks 3! inward. The blocks 3! are free to swingabout their hinge pins 30 so as to automatically fit themselves to thecontour of the shoe.

An outer tubular shaft 33 rotatably surrounds the tubular shaft 22 andterminates within the body l0 .in .a third bevel gear 34. The bevel gear34 is in constant mesh with a fourth bevel gear :35 which .is mounted onthe forward extremity of a threaded screw 36 extending medially rearwardfrom the body l0.

. .Endwise movement of the tubular shaft .33 and the threaded shaft .36is prevented by means of set collars secured to the latter shafts andbearing against thrust washers 5|.

A heel nut 31 is threaded onto the screw 36. .A U-shaped heel yoke v38is tiltably mounted on the nut 31 upon suitable pivot pins 39. The yoke38 extends from both sides of the nut 31 rearwardly around the rearwardextremity of the threaded shaft 36 and conforms generally to the shape.of the heel of a shoe.

Two finger-engaging hooks 46 extend forwardly and upwardly from the yoke38 to be engaged the lower extremity of a tubularshaft 22 which 5 by thefingers of the user. The yoke 38 is pre vented from dropping below thehorizontal position of Fig. 3 by means of a stop pin 4|. It can,however, be raised to the broken line position of Fig. 1 for insertionin, or removal from, a shoe. When in the raised position, the hooks 40pass on each side of the tubular shaft 33 as shown in broken line inFig. 1.

The upper extremity of the operating shaft 23 terminates in a first hub42, and the upper extremities of the tubular shafts 22 and 33 similarlyterminate in second and third hubs 43 and 44, respectively. The hubs arepositioned adjacent each other and may be selectively engaged to ahandle member 45 by a shifting movement of the latter.

The handle member 45 is provided with a hub sleeve 46 which extends overthe hubs 42, 43, and 44. Each of the latter three hubs is provided witha detent socket 41 into which a detent 48 can be brought intoengagement. The detent 48 is carried on a detent spring 49 secured tothe sleeve 46 and extends inwardly through an opening in the latter.

In use, the toe portion H is inserted into the toe of the shoe, and theheel yoke 38 is then forced downwardly into the heel of the shoe. Shouldit be desired to stretch the shoe lengthwise, the handle 45 is forcedforwardly until the detent 48 engages the notch 41 of the third hub 44.The rotation of the handle now will be imparted through the gears 34 and35 to the threaded shaft 36 so as to force the yoke 38 rearwardlyagainst the backstay and counter of the shoe, and the toe portion llforwardly into the cap thereof.

Should it be desired to stretch the vamp of the shoe, the handle iswithdrawn rearwardly until the detent 48 engages the notch 41 in thesecond hub 43. Rotation of the handle now will be imparted to thetubular shaft 22 and from it, through the nut member 20 and the link IT,to the vamp plate l4, moving the latter upwardly or downwardly,depending upon the direction of rotation of the handle 45.

Should it be desired to stretch the width of the shoe, the handle 45 iswithdrawn still further until the detent 48 engages the notch 41 of thefirst hub 42. Rotation of the handle now will rotate the operating shaft23 and act through the gears 25 and the threaded shaft 26 to draw thetoggle arms 29 together so as to force the blocks 3l outwardly tostretch the width of the shoe.

When it is desired to remove the device from the shoe, the heel yoke isactuated forwardly and the user hooks his two fingers beneath the hooks40 and tilts the heel yoke 38 upwardly out of the shoe.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied,within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent is:

1. A shoe stretching last comprising: a hollow foot-shaped body havingan internal cavity opening to the bottom of said body portion; a bottomplate closing the bottom of said cavity; a curvated vamp plate inset inthe top of said body; hinge means securing the forward extremity of saidvamp to said body; a tubular shaft extending rearwardly and upwardlyfrom said body and having a threaded lower extremity extending into saidcavity; a nut threaded on said extension; a toggle link hingedlyconnected between said nut and said vamp plate to reciprocate the latterin consequence of rotation of said tubular shaft; and means at the otherextremity of said tubular shaft for rotating the latter.

2. A shoe stretching last comprising: a hollow foot-shaped body havingan internal cavity opening to the bottom of said body portion; a, bottomplate closing the bottom of said cavity; a curvated vamp plate inset inthe top of said body; hinge means securing the forward extremity of saidvamp to said body; means for raising and lowering the rearward extremityof said vamp plate; a horizontal, medially extending threaded shaftrotatably mounted in said body and being provided with adjacent sets ofright and left hand threads; a threaded nut member mounted on each setof threads; a pair of toggle arms extending oppositely outward from eachnut member; a foot spreading block projecting from each side of saidbody; a toggle arm from each nut member being hingedly secured to eachspreading block; and means for rotating said threaded shaft to causesaid nut members to move toward and away from each other.

3. A shoe stretching last comprising: a hollow foot-shaped body havingan internal cavity opening to the bottom of said body portion; a bottomplate closing the bottom of said cavity; a curvated vamp plate inset inthe top of said body; hinge means securing the forward extremity of saidvamp to said body; means for raising and lowering the rearward extremityof said vamp plate; a horizontal, medially extending threaded shaftrotatably mounted in said body and being provided with adjacent sets ofright and left hand threads; a threaded nut member mounted on each setof threads; a pair of toggle arms extending oppositely outward from eachnut member; a foot spreading block projecting from each side of saidbody; a toggle arm from each nut member being hingedly secured to eachspreading block; an inclined operating shaft extending from said cavityrearwardly and upwardly from said body; a first bevel gear on theforward extremity of said operating shaft; a second bevel gear on saidthreaded shaft in mesh with said first gear; and means for rotating saidoperating shaft.

4. A shoe stretching last comprising: a hollow foot-shaped body havingan internal cavity opening to the bottom of said body portion; a bottomplate closing the bottom of said cavity; acurvated vamp plate inset inthe top of said body; hinge means securing the forward extremity of saidvamp to said body; means for raising and lowering the rearward extremityof said vamp plate; a foot spreading block mounted in each side of saidbody; means for moving said latter blocks simultaneously outward andinward in said body; a rotatable screw extending rearward from saidbody; a nut block threaded on said screw; a U-shaped heel yoke; meanspivoting the two legs of said heel yoke to said nut block so that itwill extend rearwardly therefrom around said screw; and means forrotating said screw to cause said heel yoke to move toward and away fromsaid body.

5. A shoe stretching last comprising: a hollow foot-shaped body havingan internal cavity opening to the bottom of said body portion; a bottomplate closing the bottom of said cavity; a curvated vamp plate inset inthe top of said body; hinge means securing the forward extremity of saidvamp to said body; means for raising and lower,

ing the rearward extremity of said vamp plate; a foot spreading blockmounted in each side of said body; means for moving said latter blockssimultaneously outward and inward in said body; a rotatable screwextending rearward from said body; a nut block threaded on said screw; aU-shaped heel yoke; means pivoting the two legs of said heel yoke tosaid nut block so that it will extend rearwardly therefrom around saidscrew; a bevel gear on the inner extremity of said screw within saidcavity; a rotatable shaft extending rearwardly and upwardly from saidbody; a second bevel gear on the forward extremity of said shaft in meshwith said first bevel gear; and means for rotating said shaft to causesaid heel yoke to move toward and away from said body.

6. A shoe stretching last comprising: a hollow foot-shaped body havingan internal cavity opening to the bottom of said body portion; a bottomplate closing the bottom of said cavity; a curvated vamp plate inset inthe top of said body; hinge means securing the forward extremity of saidvamp to said body; means for raising and lowering the rearward extremityof said vamp plate; a foot spreading block mounted in each side of saidbody; means for moving said latte blocks simultaneously outward andinward in said body; a rotatable screw extending rearward from saidbody; a heel yoke; and finger engaging members mounted on and projectingforwardly and upwardly from said heel yoke.

7. A shoe stretchin last comprising: a hollow foot-shaped body having aninternal cavity openin to the bottom of said body portion; a bottomplate closing the bottom of said cavity; a curvated vamp plate inset inthe top of said body; hinge means securing the forward extremity of saidvamp to said body; a first rotatable tubular shaft extending rearwardlyand upwardly from said body; means for transmitting the rotation of saidfirst tubular shaft to said vamp plate to raise and lower the rearextremity of the latter; foot spreading blocks mounted in the sides ofsaid body; an operating shaft extending from said cavity rearwardly andupwardly through said first tubular shaft; means for transmitting powerfrom said operating shaft to said spreading blocks to cause the latterto approach and depart from each other; and means for independentlyrotating said first tubular shaft and said operating shaft;

8. A shoe stretching last comprising: a hollow foot-shaped body havingan internal cavity opening to the bottom of said body portion; a bottomplate closing the bottom of said cavity; a curvated vamp plate inset inthe top of said body; hinge means securing the forward extremity of saidvamp to said body; a first rotatable tubular shaft extending rearwardlyand upwardly from sleeve for selectively engaging any desired hub so;

said body; means for transmitting the rotation of said first tubularshaft to said vamp plate to raise and lower the rear extremity of thelatter; foot spreading blocks mounted in the sides of said body; anoperating shaft extending from said cavity rearwardly and upwardlythrough said first tubular shaft; means for transmitting power from saidoperating shaft to said spreading blocks to cause the latter to approachand depart from each other; a rotatable threaded screw extendingrearward from said body; a nut block threaded onto said screw; aU-shaped heel yoke mounted on said block and extending rearwardly aboutsaid screw; a second tubular shaft extendin from said cavity rearwardlyand upwardly around said first tubular shaft; means for transmittingrotation from said second tubular shaft to said screw to rotate thelatter; and means for selectively and individually rotating saidoperating shaft, said first tubular shaft, and said second tubularshaft.

9. A shoe stretching last comprising: a hollow foot-shaped body havingan internal cavity opening to the bottom of said body portion; a bottomplate closing the bottom of said cavity; a curvated vamp plate inset inthe top of said body;

hinge means securing the forward extremity of c said vamp to said body;a first rotatable tubular shaft extending rearwardly and upwardly fromsaid body; means for transmitting the rotation of said first tubularshaft to said vamp plate to raise and lower the rear extremity of thelatter; foot spreading blocks mounted in the sides of said body; anoperating shaft extending from said cavity rearwardly and upwardlythrough said first tubular shaft; means for transmitting power from saidoperating shaft to said spreading blocks to cause the latter to approachand depart from each other; a rotatable threaded screw extendingrearward from said body; a nut block threaded onto said screw; aU-shaped heel yoke mounted on said block and extending rearwardly aboutsaid screw; a second tubular shaft extending from said cavity rearwardlyand upwardly around said first tubular shaft; means for transmittingrotation from said second tubular shaft to said screw to rotate thelatter; a hub member on the upper extremity of each of said operatingshafts, said first tubular shaft and said second tubular shafts, saidhubs being arranged in adjacent axial alignment; a handle member; ahub-sleeve on said handle member extending over all of said hubs; andmeans on said hub that the latter will be rotated by rotation of saidhandle member.

ELIA GALTERIO.

No references cited.

